


gun it coming off the line

by artemidos



Category: From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - 70s, F/M, Kidnapping, Mystery, Organized Crime, i'll update tags as i figure this shit out
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-23
Updated: 2017-01-29
Packaged: 2018-09-19 10:33:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9436313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/artemidos/pseuds/artemidos
Summary: seth and richie work for carlos finding and bringing in the people who owe him. they don't care about why and they never fail to bring someone in.until kate, of course.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> i've been struggling to write much but this has been slowly coming to me, mostly after i watched the nice guys and i was like hey! what if i wrote a new sethkate au. and i was thinking about the aesthetics of it and i got real excited. i don't want this to be long, five chapters at the most but i really wanted to try and get my muse going with something new. 
> 
> feedback is allllways appreciated, bc you're probably missing fdtd as much as i am. i have a vague idea about where it's going but it's kind of coming to me as i write. 
> 
> it probably will get smutty. because i know me.

The fluorescent light above Seth flickered once, then again. It looked about ready to burn out, the glow irritating his eyes although he didn’t move from his position, taking up one half of a table with the newspaper open.

He’d already harassed the kid working there about the fact that the bulb needed to be changed while he bought the food that he was slowly working through. He had to make it last. He picked up a cold fry between his thumb and middle finger and tapped off the excess salt as he glanced at her again.

It seemed like she’d been working on that milkshake as long as he’d been sitting there, wrapped up in some book which she held close to her, open with one hand.

The longer Seth stared, the worse he felt. Eyes traced the curls that flicked away from her face and it was a kick to the gut. Then the subtle blush on the curve of her cheek, the slope of her nose, strawberry red lips wrapping around the straw once more. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat as he watched, following long eyelashes painted black and then eyes that flickered open, glanced at him. And then she did something he didn’t expect, she smiled.

Not even just politely, like he was some old man she wanted to stop looking at her. With her head angled down slightly, underneath those long lashes and then tilted her chin back up, tipping her head to the side as she watched him. Seth clenched his jaw and looked back at the newspaper, pretending to read the page. She kept staring.

He'd fucked up.

He shouldn’t have stared. He was giving himself away.

At first it was just to match the worn out square picture to her face but he’d looked too long. He’d already stuffed the photo back into his pocket.

Kate Fuller, daughter to Jacob Fuller. Eighteen. Brunette. Green eyes. 

The information had been stored up inside his head, repeated non-verbally as he searched for her, tracking her all the way to this greasy, old-school fast food joint. Watching outside her house, learning her routine. She seemed pretty normal enough, just some teenage girl far too pretty and nice to be caught up in whatever shit she must have been caught up in. She didn’t seem to be hiding either, maybe she was just stupid. He’d memorised everything down to the outfit she was currently in. Tiny little t-shirt. Jeans. Wedges. He’d learned to better identify clothing after his brother drilled it into his head. Still he didn’t know much more than if she looked nice and she did. He thought so anyway. The green in the t-shirt made her eyes even more prominent and he’d noticed when he was tailing her that without the shoes she was probably tiny. Maybe five foot three? Two?

He glanced up from his newspaper experimentally, looking out the window but it came with the jarring realisation that she was no longer sitting where she was before. Seth frowned, turning and seeing only a bookmark on the table, a pamphlet for a church.

He’d double fucked up. If he lost her now, if she’d noticed his presence, who knew when his next opportunity would come up? How had she slipped out of there without him noticing in the first place? Did she run?

Grunting, he swiped the cardboard cup as he stood up. He brought the straw to his lips and sucked down a gulp of the lukewarm strawberry milkshake as he ambled towards the door. It whipped open to reveal warm early evening air and he peered around, trying to use his head. He turned right, towards the back of the building where the alley was, where he’d left the car.

His feet carried him quickly, scraping across concrete and probably scuffing the black leather as he prepared to turn the corner but something hit the side of his face hard as he reached it, knocking him back.  

There was a moment of disorientation, his brain catching up with him as he stumbled backwards a few steps, tried to mentally check if anything had broken. The milkshake had long clattered to the ground, pink spilling out and splattering across his loafers. Then the voice came, yelling at him as he reached for his cheek, feeling something wet.

“Who are you? Why are you following me? Did she send you?” She yelled, sounding demanding but also scared, like she was a child trying to show him she was in charge. He recognised that voice from tailing her, the hint of a Southern twang, but too sweet, too gentle to really pull off what she was aiming for.

Well, at least he didn’t lose her.

“The fuck did you hit me with?” He asked, shaking his fingertips coated in red away from his face. For the moment he wasn’t worried, keeping her there. Clearly she hadn’t noticed the car towards the back of the alley.

“Tell me!” She commanded.

So Kate Fuller was feistier than expected. He had to be impressed that she was trying. He didn’t bother with her questions, letting them wash over as he kept rallying different ones back at her, keeping her eyes on him and his eyes right on her. She couldn’t get away.

“Seriously, you carry a plank of wood from the dumpster? Knuckle dusters?”

“It was my purse!” She yelled back at him, frustrated.

At that he raised his eyebrows. Richie would have a field day with that one.

“You carry a brick in your purse?”

“I’ll call the police.”

“Don’t think you’ll make it that far.” Came a voice from behind her and Seth sighed, leaning against the wall of the alleyway. She yelped and didn’t turn around in time before large hands caught her shoulders, towering over her. His brother peered from over her head.  “You alright?”

Richie did look amused, the crinkles by his eyes underneath his glasses accentuating that taunting smile. His hair was a little too long and probably sweaty from waiting in the car on his own. He’d snuck up easily, moving while Seth kept her gaze on him. It was a little too easy, really, but he reminded himself that they were dealing with a teenager, not some professional.

“She caught me off guard.” Seth explained, throwing a hand up. Just a minute and then they would go. He tried to wipe the blood with the sleeve of his jacket. She’d ruined his suit.

“Let go of me!” She yelled and Richie clamped a hand over her mouth. She bit down and he let go only to hold on tighter to her upper arm, turning her around to him. Seth watched with caution and then looked back at the wall, taking a breath. His brother never did well with other people, especially women, but for the moment he wasn’t exactly in the mood to talk her down.

“Look, this only becomes harder if you fight it. We aren’t going to hurt you. We’re just doing a job.” Richie explained, his voice clear as he leaned down to her, meeting her eyes.

Seth could still see her try to tug her arm away, but her voice almost came out softer. “What job?”

“We’re not the ones who explain, we just deliver.”

“Deliver what? _Me_?”

“Yes.” Seth watched now, no longer leaning against the wall as his brother explained, the two of them staring at each other.

Richie always hid his emotion well, but they’d been watching this one for a while. He could see the way his shoulders deflated ever so slightly, the way pity flickered over his expression. He figured the guy had an attachment. He figured they both did, but that wouldn’t work for them.

“To _who_?” She asked, eyebrows raising.

“He’s also saying we don’t owe you an explanation. If we have to tape your mouth shut, that’s gonna be real annoying for you.” Seth spoke up because he needed to. If he had to play bad cop, he didn’t mind.

“So, what? You’re not going to tell me anything?” She replied, helpless and annoyed.

Richie spoke up and Seth could have socked him in the jaw for it. “It’s about your mother.”

Her expression changed, dipping down deep into a sadness he couldn’t identify, her eyes going big and wide and it made him clench his jaw. She went totally silent, her mouth clamping shut and it confused him, but he didn’t ask. He didn’t need to know her business, they just had to get going and call Carlos.  

“Richard. Shut up.” It wasn’t playful, his words came out harsher than they usually did, silencing his little brother who peered away, knowing he’d said too much.

His attention turned back to Kate as she muttered. “I knew it. I knew this had something to do with her.”

He sighed. “Just get in the car willingly and we won’t have to make you.”

Seth moved in step with them as they walked towards the black car waiting for them, fingers still feeling the cut on his cheek. It wasn’t the worst injury to his face, but he couldn’t tell in that moment.

“You got something to clean this with?” He asked as they got close and Richie pulled the door open, pushing towards the backseat. Seth stood at the door of the driver’s seat.

“Probably. Lemon yellow leather must hurt _real_ bad.” Richie smirked, the two of them flickering back to normal as easy as one teasing remark.

“I think the buckle shit on it caught me.” Seth said, getting into the car.

“Maybe the skin on your face is sensitive.”

“Get in the car, Richie.”

The passenger door slammed shut and they left the alley behind. Kate sat back, watching them with bitterness clear in her eyes, but the sadness hadn’t yet washed away. Seth resolved not to look, focusing on their next destination.

* * *

“Where is she?”

Kate hadn’t spoken since they’d started driving to the Lucky Star Motel, the sign lit up by bright blue and pink neon lights. It was only the two of them in the car, Seth leaning forward against the steering wheel and watching his brother pace as he spoke on the phone, occasionally visible as he passed by the door of their motel room.

They were one of only three cars in the lot and it didn’t surprise him, the place wasn’t exactly luxury living.

“What?” He turned his head to look at her, despondent in the backseat.

It seemed she’d been mulling over it for a while but he figured there’d be at least one attempt at a breakout. He’d expected he’d have to chase her across the parking lot or tie her hands together but she was just fucking sitting there.

It was freaking him out.

“My mother. Have you spoken to her?” She clarified.

Seth sighed. He didn’t have an answer for her, Carlos hadn’t told them much, if anything. He never wanted the details, just the job description. “I told you, kid. You aren’t gonna find any explanations here.”

He lowered his gaze, staring at the leather of the backseat but he could still feel her eyes on him, burning into the cut on his cheek that had only stopped bleeding twenty minutes prior. The staring was making him feel like shit because he was about to bring her to a fate he couldn’t even tell her about. He had always told himself it wasn’t his responsibility to wonder what those people had done to deserve debt to Carlos. Still, usually it was more obvious. They sweated all over his car, freaked out, hell, some even told him exactly what had happened, wishing to garner his sympathy, not knowing that he had none for anyone stupid enough to be in debt to his boss. When he’d first saw her picture he figured maybe she was a customer who still owed him money, but he could tell quickly she wasn’t on anything and he didn’t think she had been either.

“She’s been missing.” Kate spoke up again. “Going on two weeks now.”  

“Shit.” He met her eyes again, grimacing. He was such a fucking asshole and her mother was probably dead. He had to stop taking these fucking jobs from Carlos.

She continued. “I thought maybe you might know something about it, I guess you don’t.”

He shut his mouth. Despite her calm, clear words, he could see that her eyes were glassy.

Seth didn’t know why he spoke up, maybe it was the same reason Richie had. Maybe there was something in her that brought out some wanting to comfort her, even if they were delivering her to a fate that might be far worse than she could imagine. Or maybe he just thought she owed her something. He couldn’t just leave it alone.

“I don’t know where she is… Or if she even has something to do with it. Whatever trouble you got caught up in, Carlos Magdrigal is deciding that delivering you to him is payment.” He said, trying to emanate someone calm. Someone who didn’t give a shit.

“But I don’t even know who he is.”

There was something in her eyes, in her voice. He wished he could believe that she didn’t.

* * *

The bed sheets were scratchy on his palms as he sat back, feet stretched forward and the cut on his cheek now covered. The motel room was small and too damn warm, all the shades were drawn but they’d flicked the two bedside lamps on. Seth felt exhausted, although it was probably only eight-thirty p.m. at the most. They were supposed to be talking about the call with Carlos but his brother seemed to be avoiding it, still pacing around the room and making it completely obvious that the cogs in the little genius brain of his were working tirelessly, plotting something Seth couldn’t see.

“Did you make sure the window doesn’t open?” Richie asked out of the blue, completely ignoring the question that had preceded it.

He meant the one in the bathroom that she was currently occupying.

Seth craned his head forward. “It’s fuckin’ tiny and like double her height, you really think she’s gonna crawl out that?”

Nothing in Richie’s concerned expression changed. “Maybe.”

He threw his hands up with a groan and stood up, rapping his knuckles against the door. “You still in there?”

There came an exasperated sigh before Kate replied. “ _Yes_.”

“You hear that? She’s there.” He jabbed his thumb towards the door.

Richie stood up straighter, his hands on his hips. “Ask her if she’s gonna crawl out the window.”

The look his brother wore in return was close to murderous before he turned once more, tipping his head to the side. “Kate, you gonna try to crawl out the window?”

“ _No_. I’m not the size of a toddler, I’d never fit.” She sounded more than a little annoyed.

“See, I told you.” He waved his brother off.

They likely didn’t have a whole heap of time to discuss whatever Richie and Carlos had said to each other, but he was getting antsy with all the waiting his brother was making him do. Usually he was more to the point, get the job done, get the money and get back home, take a break. Maybe take an impromptu trip, like when his brother insisted they visit Vegas. It felt like no break was approaching, nor anything that would get his mind off this like gambling and drinking could.

“Just fucking tell me what he said, Richie.” He walked over to the small kitchenette, finding a glass to fill up with tap water. He took a long sip, waiting with his back turned.

“It was a long call. He said a lot of things.”

“Yeah, but what thing in particular are you avoiding telling me?”

“I asked about upping our price.”

Seth turned his head to the side sharply, dropping the glass into the sink. It clattered but didn’t break, rolling back and forth as he still didn’t turn around. “You _what_?”

“This is different than the other shit. He wants us to hand over some innocent girl.” Richie explained.

His gaze darkened, clutching the edge of the bench hard enough to blanch his knuckles. “And what? You think money would have made it easier on us? Newsflash, brother, it won’t.”

“I didn’t say we had her.” His brother’s words were only getting more and more confusing.

“Why not?” Seth asked, finally turning around. Richie looked guilty, his gaze on the floor and he didn’t blame him for it. He should’ve been way madder. He should be blowing up at him, but they both knew what this was about, one of them just had to voice it. Seemed as if it would be him.

“Because you and I both know what he’ll do to a girl like that. Plus, we don’t even know why he wants her.”

“We don’t need to know. It’s not in the job description.”

“Well I asked.”

“I thought you said you didn’t know.”

“We didn’t, but now I do.”

“So?” Seth asked, feeling more antsy by the second, he just wanted to finish it. Rid himself of responsibility, go on a bender. He was craving a drink more than ever.

“ _So_ , he’s gonna use Little Miss Kate as incentive to get her mother to come back and then probably get rid of her to teach her some sort of lesson. Or sell her into something.” Richie explained, keeping his words vague, but Seth knew what something meant. It meant that girl in the bathroom of their motel room would suffer when she didn’t deserve to.

“Then why didn’t we go after the mother?” It seemed like an obvious question.

His brother shrugged, making it clear that it bothered him too. “I don’t know. I think he has some sort of revenge in mind. She fucking did something to him, man. Something enough to have him targeting someone else to really hit her where it hurts.”

“Okay, what kinda shit is a pastor’s wife getting into that gets Carlos ready to kidnap their daughter?”

“You wanna find out?”

“ _Richie_.” His head tilted, wanting his brother to be realistic about their situation, but his brother didn’t falter in his determination.

He glanced at the door. “I’m not taking her to Carlos. No fucking way.”

Seth did up and undid the fourth button on his red dress shirt, clearly uncomfortable from the way he changed his stance, his feet shifting with his hands. What else could they do? What was his brother suggesting, exactly? He stared him down and the room was quiet for a moment before he began to respond almost mockingly. “What do you wanna do? Solve the mystery, save the girl? This isn’t a fucking movie, Richie, we’re gonna get our asses killed.”

“Do you really want to bring her to Carlos?” Richie asked, raising his eyebrows.

There was a long beat of silence before he was able to admit his answer. “No.”

Of course he didn’t want to bring her to Carlos. She was practically a fucking kid and she hadn’t _done_ anything. And maybe Seth had been doing this too long. Maybe he’d been doing this too long and pushing down the guilt. It had to come back up eventually.  

“Let’s figure something else out.” Richie continued, still trying to convince him.

“Like what?” Seth’s voice sounded even more dejected than it just had.

He felt pissed off at his brother and himself for indulging a conversation about not doing what they were being paid to do. Carlos paid good money, he never gave them reason to turn their backs on him other than for the fact that he was one shady, dark motherfucker. He had his hands in everywhere, present in some way for all the debauchery that occurred in their city. The man for drugs, women, clubs.

Still, it wasn’t their business what he was doing, they just did their job and moved along. That was that. Always.

Until now.

Before Seth could give an answer and go back on what he’d said before, to correct it with what he hadn’t meant to say, Kate’s voice came from the doorway of the bathroom. The edges of her figure were shrouded in shadow because she’d turned out the light, but he could still see her clearly, the look on her face stopped him from speaking before she did. “First, you help me find my mother.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> took me a little bit but here's chapter two! i'm hoping i can keep this thing going so feedback is really, really appreciated.

_You already found me, how hard could it be?_ That was what Kate had said to them. What he didn’t want to mention was the fact that her mother clearly didn’t want to be found, but it would only lead into debate about the fact that Kate didn’t want to be either. It had been at least twenty minutes of back and forth before Seth even gave in a hint of being open to her request, but something about her was convincing.

Or maybe he was just thinking with his dick. Which wasn’t exactly appropriate considering she was eighteen years old, fresh out of high school. Richie had very clearly noticed and didn’t seem to see issue with it, but he supposed maybe his brother was just doing the same.

They’d made her tell them all she knew about her mother and about Carlos – which wasn’t much, but she had been lying when she said she didn’t know who he was. She’d seen him before, only once, met him along with her mother when they were out for dinner at one of his restaurants – with her brother and father too, introduced himself as her friend. He’d barely taken notice of her, stared at her mother the whole time and there had been ‘something eerie about him’. Seth held back saying that what was eerie was that the guy was a murderer and a monster. 

Richie and Kate figured out a place to start, combing through memory until Richie decided they should go back to her house, to look at her mother’s things and tell her father she hadn’t been kidnapped.

Even if she had kind of been kidnapped.

She didn’t seem to mind, or see the two of them as a threat, it was bizarre to him how easily she could trust them to help her with this, not knowing them at all. Sure, they may be a good chance to take, considering their experience doing this for Carlos, but they’d still been about to take her to him. They were still older, dangerous criminals and pretty little Kate Fuller couldn’t seem to care less.

It bothered him. He didn’t drive at a leisurely pace, speeding through empty suburban streets when he could press down a little more on the gas pedal. Between the passenger and backseat there seemed to be endless discussion but he zoned out, humming along to the song on the radio.

“Seth!” There was a kick to the back of his seat and he sat up straighter with alarm, turning his head slightly.

“The fuck was that for?” He asked.

“You missed my house.” She pointed out, motioning behind them.

“Fuck. Sorry.” He sighed, reversing and only slowing to a stop when they reached the house he’d recognised from being parked in front of it for several hours a few days back.

“Are we all going in?” She asked, opening the back door and peering between the brothers.

Seth nodded and then shrugged. “Yeah… Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Richie nodded and they exited the car, letting Kate lead the way.

“I should probably check if my dad is home first.” She said, although it didn’t seem like anyone was. The windows were dark, there was no car in the driveway, no noise coming from inside.

She pulled the bag from around her shoulders and fished out jingling keys with a keychain he couldn’t see properly. Kate unlocked the door systematically and peered inside. The brothers behind her took a step forward as she turned to look at them and then walked inside, calling out for her dad.

“This is such a bad idea.” Seth muttered as he heard her call out again and walked a few steps forward, moving to the doorway.

“I need a cigarette.” Richie said in response, his palm patting the front of his suit before he stepped back.

Seth wanted to harass him about why it needed to be right that moment but instead he rolled his eyes, walking further into the house and seeing no Kate. He lifted his chin a little higher, listening for footsteps, the creak of stairs and there was nothing. If she’d gotten away, he knew he should probably have left it alone, let her go, but he couldn’t. He strode forward to find her and then she appeared, down a hallway and frowning.

“He’s not here. Where’s Richie?” She explained, her bag now missing. She reached up, tucking her curls behind one ear and then pushing her hands into her pocket.

“Smoking. Alright, we’ll leave your dad a note when we go. For now, should we get to looking at your mother’s stuff?”

“Sure, I was gonna just grab some stuff from my room first.” She nodded towards the stairs.

“Okay.” Seth nodded back at her and walked in step behind her as she moved towards them, planning to follow her up there. He was too paranoid about her leaving. 

Partway up, she stopped and turned to him, meaning he had to get his gaze off her ass. “You really don’t trust me to go to my bedroom by myself?”

“Why would I trust you?” He countered and she rolled her eyes, continuing up.

Her bedroom looked how he expected it to, for the most part. Minus the stuffed animals, at least, he could’ve sworn she’d have at least one teddy bear or something. Her walls were sunshine yellow, her bed big but only messy because she hadn’t made it. The yellow bag sat on top of it, spilled over on one side with her book from before peeking out of it. He watched as she pulled her closet doors open, pushing things around in there and then walking over to her desk to flip over a few pieces of paper until she found a specific one and placed it aside. She found a pen and he walked to the window sill, wondering if he would be able to see his brother.

Seth peered out at the neighbourhood, all the houses in rows looking about the same, the type of place he would have killed to grow up in. It was practically white picket fence heaven, a place where they cared more about idle gossip than who was involved with which gang.

All the kids were inside by this time at night, there was no one lurking around, just front rooms lit up by televisions and probably family dinners being served. Mundane conversation, the type of buzzing chatter that would give Seth a headache now.

He’d always envied that normalcy, the happiness that came with knowing you were safe. He would say Kate didn’t know how good she had it if their situation wasn’t like it was, if there wasn’t something serious going on with her mother. He had to wonder how a woman with two kids, married to a man of faith would end up involved with someone like Carlos, but he supposed the world was full of mysteries.

They’d have to work to unravel this one.

He glanced at Kate again as she finished writing her note and pulled her shoes off, walking back towards the closet. He strode over as he spoke, curiosity getting the better of him. “Why would you trust us with this?”

“With what?” She asked, glancing at him as she picked out a pair of sneakers, holding them between her two fingers.

“You don’t know us. We were about to bring you to Carlos and you’re not even trying to make a break for it?” He narrowed his eyes, stepping closer to her as he leaned against one of the wooden white shelves, head dipping slightly.

“But you _didn’t_ bring me to Carlos.” She pointed out, not shifting back like he expected her to. Kate kept his gaze completely, looking up at him without an ounce of fear. He wasn’t sure what to do with it.

“So?”

“This is my best bet at finding my mother. You two know Carlos and you’re clearly not… All bad. You didn’t bring me to him. That’s gotta count for something.” It sounded like she was trying to convince herself too, like she was clutching tightly to her morals, to a belief she seemed to have that people weren’t bad, weren’t out to get her. They were, she had to see that. She still wasn’t safe.

“You shouldn’t be so trusting. It’s gonna come back to bite you in the ass. What if I just wanted you for myself?” His words came out wrong, almost predatory as his face inched closer to hers.

She just stared up at him still, unmoving, daring him to do something to prove her wrong. “Do you?”

Their interruption came in the form of a ripping, crashing noise from the other room like the floor was being torn up and Seth turned his head abruptly, holding his arm up so he could keep Kate behind him as they stepped forward. He moved with caution and she didn’t try to push in front, concern forming on her features as he glanced back at her.

There was a grunt and then a voice. Richie’s voice. “I found something.”

Seth’s shoulders relaxed and he strode towards the room noise came from to find Richie in the corner of the room, by the wardrobe. He was holding up the carpet with one hand and a pane of wood with the other.

“What is it?” He asked.

“Secret stash. I thought the carpet looked weird.” Richie explained and he wasn’t surprised. His brother had an eye for this kind of thing. He was good at his job, his brain worked like… nothing Seth had ever seen. Of course, that also meant it came with ridicule, especially as a child. They both tried to avoid thinking about that.

“Secret stash of _what_?” Kate seemed alarmed as she pushed in front of Seth, peering behind the carpet and her face dropped.

Seth followed and caught sight of the drugs first, but the tin of what looked like film and the pieces of paper second. He didn’t know which Kate was fixating on with shock in her expression, but he could take a wild guess. He leaned down before she could, taking the little bags between his fingers to get a better look at. Definitely coke, he pursed his lips and placed them down, picking up the pieces of paper second. His eyes scanned the pages, flitting through receipts and phone numbers before he handed the pile to Kate.

“Do you recognise any of these?” He asked, trying to give her something else to focus on.

She took them, finally breaking her stare to look down, sorting out the pile between her two small hands while Richie reached for the tin of film. There was a piece of paper stuck to the front but Seth couldn’t see it properly, nor could he manage to completely look away from Kate. He worried that even this glimpse at whatever life her mother was living would be too difficult for her. He didn’t know why he gave a shit.

“I don’t know any of them, no.” She shook her head, speaking up after a minute or so after she’d looked through all of it. She held them back to him as if she was trying to get them as far away from her as possible and then wiped her hand down her jeans.

He looked back at Richie who handed him the tin and he raised his eyebrows when he recognised a name, his thumb smoothing over the writing. _Carina_. It’d been a while, maybe six months. Shit, he only thought about her late at night if ever, every now and then…

“Okay, I know where to next.” Seth decided and Richie nodded, moving to put everything back into place like he hadn’t discovered whatever was there. He glanced at Kate again, ignoring the guilt hanging in his stomach, dropping his mood. “You need to change. You need to look older.”

She frowned, snapping out of it for the time being. “Where are we going?”

“Club. I know this girl.” He pointed to the name. “You have any nice dresses?”

“Is she an actress or something?” She asked and noticed Richie’s amused smile.

“Yeah. Of sorts. We’ll wait downstairs, don’t be too long.” He said, hoping showing that he trusted her enough to leave her alone up there would at least be something else to focus on.

Richie finished up and they made their way downstairs, relaxing into the couch before Richie stood up to smoke another cigarette, stress making his shoulders hunched. Seth knew he wanted to get to the bottom of this, but he also knew it might take following useless leads until they figured it out. He looked down at his shoes and then licked his thumb, cleaning off the dried up splotches of milky pink that he’d forgotten about.

* * *

Seth let Richie drive, if not just because he knew he would end up fucking staring again. In the passenger seat, if he turned around to say something to her, it wasn’t weird. If he noticed the little bit of cleavage the cherry red dress gave off, it was just coincidence. If he watched her equally red lips curve into a smile, it wouldn’t get them into a car crash.

She looked _good_. Definitely older, enough so that they could get her in there without questions or people staring, not that he expected much trouble.

She’d explained that she’d ended up taking a dress from her mother’s closet, which seemed to explain why it was so revealing and loose, fitting her body with a belt around her waist. The heels too he assumed weren’t hers. They were thin and strappy, not like much of the stuff he’d seen her in so far. She only brought nothing else with her.

“You ready for this, Fuller? All you have to do is keep between us, we can get you in there, but you can’t look nervous. People should only be looking over because they wanna fuck you.”  His pep talk was a little unceremonious but it didn’t earn a look of grave concern from her, thank god.

“I’ll be fine.” She nodded, like it was him that needed the reassurance. “Don’t worry.”

They found somewhere to park and Richie led them towards the club, Kate in between them like Seth said to be as he stayed close to her. His presence was protective, hovering a hand near her lower back as they turned a corner and then actually pressing against the fabric of her dress when a group of people passed by them. Kate looked at him out of the corner of her eye but said nothing.

Getting in the club was easier than expected, Kate blended in easy, pressing her back into him as they waited for the bouncer at the door to speak to his brother. The role she was asked to play, she played well, coy little smile on her lips, her face relaxed.

As they finally entered she grasped his hand and he nodded to the bouncer who gave her a second glance, but it looked casual enough. It was just like looking at another pretty girl entering the club you worked in, nothing for Seth to worry about.  

The room was warm and the music almost deafeningly loud, blasting as people gyrated against each other. After a couple of steps Kate dropped his hand and he missed the contact, but didn’t let it show in his expression as he scanned the bar. No sign of Carina, his brother had the same thought, his eyes meeting Seth’s and then moving over to the tables, past the pivotal disco ball lighting the room up. Seth grabbed Kate’s hips to lead her along and she didn’t fight him, muttering something he couldn’t hear while so close to the speakers.

Over by the tables, it was a little easier to hear but it was still packed to the brim. Amor always was and Carina was always at the centre of attention in next to nothing, her wasted with her cleavage spilling out by the end of the night. Seth knew _Carina Calypso_ from playing bodyguard a few months back, one of the few jobs that Carlos stuck he and his brother with that there hadn’t been any moral issue with.

He’d known her before that too, back when her name was Emily and she was a waitress who didn’t do hard drugs or fuck on camera. Not that he was judging. It wasn’t like he had the guts to get his kit off while a shitload of people watched, and it clearly made good money. He just missed the girl he’d known sometimes.

Seth found here where he expected to, in a silky blue number that was practically sheer under lights. She didn’t look drunk, laughing and chatting with another woman as she waved around a drink with a long black straw protruding from the top. When she caught his eye, her face lit up, the big blue eyes filling with excitement as she beckoned him over. He didn’t often visit, but he was usually welcomed with open arms. Seth couldn’t say that he hated clubs, but at times it felt a little ridiculous to be going out with a bunch of twenty year olds every night, not that other men under Carlos of a similar age didn’t do the same thing more than willingly.

“Hey, sweetheart.” He mumbled in her ear as she got up on her knees on the lounge that surrounded the table to hug him and then Richie who gave an awkward smile, one that came with having seen her films. Seth had never seen any of her work, even if he’d considered it once or twice.

“What brings you over here? And who’s this?” She asked, the Long Island accent slipping out as she chewed on her straw and eyed Kate. There was nothing malicious or jealous in the question, although Kate looked nervous regardless. He wondered if she’d caught on.

“This is, uh–” Kate cut him off before he could finish.

“Kitty. It’s really nice to meet you.” Probably best not to use her real name. Smart girl.

“ _You_ are gorgeous.” Carina said, holding up her hand to get a better look at her outfit. She eyed it a little too curiously but said nothing more.

“Thank you, I love your dress.” Kate said, beaming like it was an everyday conversation.

Instantly distracted by the compliment, they fell into quick chatter about where it was from. Seth let them talk, figuring out where on earth to start with his questioning. He couldn’t exactly do it while all her friends were sitting there and they didn’t have time to enjoy themselves, he couldn’t just wait for the right moment.

“This your girlfriend, one you’ve been hiding from me?” Carina interrupted his train of thought, but he couldn’t tell who she was directing it to, she looked between him and Richie. He didn’t blame her for the confusion, just like she’d been stuck to Seth’s side when she’d come in, now she was closer to the taller Gecko and is arm had fallen over her shoulder. Kate smiled helplessly, squinting.

“Nah, nothing like that.” Seth replied quicker than Richie, who pulled out a cigarette and smiled to himself. “Look, can we talk real quick, without the whole entourage?”

Carina nodded, her red waves bouncing. She gave a smile and began to send whispers across the full table for everyone to leave. They looked unwilling but did so without complaint, all glancing their way as they made their way to the dance floor. It was a little quieter without all the chatter so close to them and the three of them slid into the booth with Carina, who had toned it down upon noticing how serious Seth was being. She let the straw drop from her mouth as she finished her drink, placing her hand on his.

“What’s goin’ on?” She asked and he sighed.

“You know a woman called Jennifer Fuller?” He asked and beside him, felt Kate go stiff, her shoulder pressed into his with Richie on the other side of her.

“Jenny? Yeah, I… I know her.” She nodded, removing her hand as quickly as she’d placed it there.

“Found your name on some film in her house.” He explained, trying to search her expression and nudge her in the right direction. “Do have any idea where she is?”

“Look, if Carlos wants her, I can’t help you. Sorry, but I just…” She shook her head, the fear in her eyes becoming especially evident. She worked under Carlos too, he owned the man who put her in films, he owned the cocaine she snorted in bathrooms.

“This isn’t for Carlos.”

“You think I believe that for a second, Seth? You’ve been working for him longer than I have. I know he’s been looking for her. I know you work for him, it’s a pretty easy thing to put together.”

She had a fair point. He did what Carlos said, no matter what he said. He’d been doing it as long as Carina had known him.

“This time it’s not him, okay? We’re looking for her because her daughter asked us for help.” He explained, shrugging a shoulder. The truth couldn’t hurt, considering the fact that Carina already didn’t seem to agree with whatever Carlos wanted for her. “All I’m asking for is some direction.”

“Yeah, I’m sure I believe that. You two working for some girl…” Carina looked antsy, her hand fidgeting with her straw before she brought it back to her lips, sucking the last remnants of her drink. It was mostly ice cubes melting slowly, clinking around her glass as she moved them with the straw. He didn’t blame her for being conflicted, eyes flitting between Seth and his brother. Ultimately, her gaze landed on Kate and she blinked, eyebrows knitting together.

There was a flicker of recognition before the gunshot rang out and the screaming began.


End file.
